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Rogerian Therapy vs Freudian Therapy

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Rogerian Therapy vs Freudian Therapy
Develop a position paper defending the efficacy of these two approaches for out-patient therapy.

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Solution Summary

This paper describes the comparison and contrast of Rogerian or person-centered therapy and Freudian or psychoanalysis therapy approaches.

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Rogerian therapy developed by Carl Rogers and Freudian therapy developed by Sigmund Freud are two types of psychotherapy that are both used to help clients work through their internal issues. Efficacy means having the ability to get a desired result. In this paper, I will discuss the differences between both of the methods, as well as the advantages and disadvantages of each.

Rogerian therapy, also known as person-centered therapy is used as a tool for clients to help themselves by maximizing their own potential. Rogers believed that each person has the ability to make a difference in their own lives. Person-centered therapy is well known and many people enjoy utilizing it because of the self-fulfillment it provides. "Person-centered therapy was developed by Carl Rogers in the 1940s. This type of therapy diverged from the traditional model of the therapist as expert and moved instead toward a nondirective, empathic approach that empowers and motivates the client in the therapeutic process. The therapy is based on Rogers's belief that every human being strives for and has the capacity to fulfill his or her own potential. Person-centered therapy, also known as Rogerian therapy, has had a tremendous impact on the field of psychotherapy and many other disciplines.

Rather than viewing people as inherently flawed, with problematic behaviors and thoughts that require treatment, person-centered therapy identifies that each person has the capacity and desire for personal growth and change. Rogers termed this natural human inclination "actualizing tendency," or self-actualization. He likened it to the way that other living organisms strive toward balance, order, and greater complexity. According to Rogers, "Individuals have within themselves vast resources for self-understanding and for altering their self-concepts, basic attitudes, and self-directed behavior; these resources can be tapped if a definable climate of facilitative psychological attitudes can be provided"" (GoodTherapy.org, 2007-2014). One of the key elements of the Rogerian therapy is its profound aspiration approach to have the patient become in touch with their inner being rather than being a victim to their current situations in life. This provides the patient with encouragement and motivation from the start. One of the downfalls of this approach is while there is lots of emphasis placed on the patient for seeking their own understanding, sometimes this can be seen as being too optimistic.

Freudian therapy was designed and predicated on more of Freud's own psychiatric background. This type of therapy was believed to help cure people based on the use of the unconscious mind versus the conscious mind. Freud believed that everything people did was for a reason. There was no such thing as an inadvertent mistake because it was believed that if it was said it was as a direct result of being thought. This type of therapy was also known as psychoanalysis therapy.

Psychoanalysis therapy is the more commonly used form of approach because it involved having patients lie down on a couch and talk about their feelings while the therapist sits and writes down their thoughts. "In ...

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